Armen Ashotyan: Political persecutions veiled under justice proceedings in Armenia

MP from the Republican Faction, RPA vice president Armen Ashotyan conditions the businessman representatives’ leave from the Republican Party of Armenia  by the “possibility of non-balanced repressive actions by the state apparatus.” Armen Ashotyan said: “It is evident that these processes are the logical continuation of the power shift of the executive authority and the Parliament becomes more harmonious to the political moods of the public from the sense that some decisive voices in connection with money are not the RPA’s any longer.”

Let us remind you that Felix Tsolakyan, Artur Gevorgyan, Artak Sargsyan, Shirak Torosyan, Arman Sahakyan, Samvel Aleksanyan left the Republican Party of Armenia. Hence, 52 from 58-member Republican Faction have remained, losing the parliamentary majority. For keeping the absolute majority the Republican Faction needs 53 seats. And Armen Ashotyan reminds of him speaking about the existing repressions for many times: “Political persecutions are sometimes tried to be veil under justice proceedings today, but I want to emphasize – a selective choice justice inclination is in place which is not going to contribute to the achievement of the objectives voiced during the power shift.”

Armen Ashotyan did not exclude that other MPs leaving the Faction will come forth. Although the Republican Faction has lost the parliamentary majority, it continues remaining a majority. The RPA MP says different types of majority exist: “Constitutional majority which we had in the frameworks of the former coalition together with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. 50+1 majority exists as well, which we had before this and there is a parliamentary majority, that is – any political force has the largest number of seats in the Parliament but does not have 50+1. We are not an absolute majority today, we remain the political force with the highest number of representation in the Parliament, that is – the first one by the number of seats. If other MPs manifest a  joint vote, then they become the decisive majority.”

Nelly GRIGORYAN